My Soul, Your Beats!
by TotalGamer98
Summary: Soul wakes up one day with no memories, surrounded by new faces that claim he's dead. The skeptical scythe then tries to figure out what's really going on, with the help of the Afterlife Battlefront. But back home, Maka is forced to cope with the death of her partner and lover. (Pairing is SoulXMaka. WARNING: Character death and angst.)
1. In the End

**I have returned! :D Look at that, I actually went a whole TWO DAYS without writing anything! Yeah, that's what I call a break. LOL**

**I've had this one in mind ever since I started watching Angel Beats!. It's set around the beginning of the AB! series, and after the end of Soul Eater. It's also not on the same timeline as my previous SE fics. I'll warn you now; it's not supposed to be a happy fic. Enjoy anyway. XD**

**By the way, each chapter is named after a fitting song. Usually the whole song fits the chapter, but I shall choose the most suitable lyrics. I'd recommend listening to the song to get the mood. ;) Anyway, that's enough of my pointless yakking.**

**TotalGamer98 presents to you:**

**_My Soul, Your Beats!_**

**Chapter 1**

**_In The End_**

* * *

_"In the end..._

_As my soul's laid to rest, what is left of my body?"_

In The End, Black Veil Brides

* * *

_The Next Life_

Everything began normally that day. No one was suspecting the event that was going to rock their world and turn everything, and their way of life, on its head.

They all walked to class together, ready to be generally disruptive to survive, as they always were. That was how things worked; the perfect ones always disappeared. If you wanted to defend yourself, you had to act up.

TK spotted him first, oddly enough.

"Dude ain't standin'…" He said slowly, pointing ahead of the group. Following his finger, the rest of the Afterlife Battlefront that had been walking with the hippie-like teen then noticed the boy on the ground. They rushed to him, crowding around him and voicing their opinions.

"What is he doing just lying there?"

"It's weird for them to show up in broad daylight."

"That's the second one we've found in a week. Is there a war or something going on?"

"I told you I don't remember."

"White like the snow..."

"TK's right; his hair's white, like Angel's!"

"This is so stupid..."

It was then that the teen's eyes suddenly snapped open as he inhaled sharply. He stared at all the faces around him, confused.

"He's awake," Otonashi looked down at him, offering his hand. "Stand up slowly. You might be a bit unstable."

The white-haired teen reached out his hand to take the redhead's palm and was slowly lifted off of the ground. He stared around, not speaking. He didn't remember seeing any of these people before. Upon further probing, he found his memories totally blank.

He stumbled a little on his feet, prompting a blue-haired teen to catch him. "Whoa, easy there, buddy. Did you stumble around this much when you first got here, Otonashi?"

The ginger shook his head. "No, I don't think so," He looked into the new teen's face. "What's your name?" He asked gently.

The boy probed his mind for memories again. All he could find were three words;

"Soul Eater Evans." He spoke slowly. His own voice surprised him.

"That's a strange name," The blue-haired buy mumbled, but smiled at the new teen. "I'm Hinata."

The others started speaking out their names, but all the noise was starting to get to Soul, and he clutched his hand to his face to try to press down a growing headache.

"Guys, give him some space," Ordered a magenta-haired girl. With Hinata and Otonashi still supporting him, the girl approached the white-haired boy. "You probably have no idea what's going on," She began. He shook his head blearily. All of this felt like a dream, as if his body and mind were in two different places.

"We found you lying here on our way to class," Hinata said.

The pink-haired girl thrust her face into Soul's. "Basically, you're dead."

* * *

Soul was then led up to an office room in the nearby school building, otherwise known as the Battlefront's headquarters. After walking with Hinata and Otonashi's support for the first few flights of stairs, the boy slowly began to walk on his own. However, he gladly accepted the couch in the headquarters when it was offered.

"Yurippe, I don't trust him," A cold-looking purple-haired guy muttered, pointing a large halberd at Soul. "He looks awfully suspicious."

Hinata chuckled. "So do you, Noda, swinging that weapon around."

Noda glared at him, pointing the halberd in his blue-haired teen's face instead. "Say that again. I dare you," He growled threateningly.

"Well," Spoke an overweight-looking teen in the corner as he munched on a granola bar, "He does have red eyes and sharp teeth."

"Ward 'em off with garlic, man," TK suggested.

"TK's right!" A brunette boy exclaimed, pointing at the newcomer fearfully and hiding behind a teen named Fujimaki. "He's a vampire!"

Soul's red eyes followed each member of the group as they spoke, trying to make sense of what was going on. He had been told he was dead, but he was skeptical. In addition to that, he was feeling very overwhelmed with the sudden increase in people and information.

Hinata turned to the pink-haired girl that was currently sitting at the desk at the end of the room. "What do you think, Yuri?" He asked.

Yuri's sea-green eyes swept around to Soul. She looked the teen up and down, inspecting him carefully. True, he did seem to resemble a vampire, but she didn't believe in such creatures. "What memories do you have, Soul Eater Evans?" She inquired.

Soul leaned over and sighed, shaking his head. "None," He said one of his first words since waking up in this new place as he tried to get his mouth used to talking once again. "I don't have any memories," He spoke again, leaned back in the couch, bringing his arms behind his head in a relaxed position. He turned to Yuri once again before questioning, "So you say I'm dead?"

She nodded calmly. "Of course. Why else would you be here?"

Soul chuckled a little, closing his eyes. "I don't even know where 'here' is," He murmured. "For all I know, this could be a sick dream."

"No, it's not," Otonashi spoke up quickly. "Believe me. That's what I thought, too. But you really are dead; you can't die here."

"He's right," Yuri continued, before motioning to the group unfamiliar to Soul. "This is Afterlife Battlefront, though our group's name changes often. That's Otonashi, Hinata, Fujimaki, Matsushita V, Ooyama, Noda, Shiina, Takamatsu, Takeyama-"

"_Please _call me Christ."

"TK, and Yui." Yuri continued pointing to each member accordingly, despite Takeyama's interruption. The magenta-haired girl then turned back to Soul. "And I'm Yuri. We in the Battlefront seek to combat god in return for our unfair lives."

Soul's mind was just beginning to process his situation. "So... You're all dead here?"

Otonashi nodded solemnly, causing the red-eyed boy to sigh and turn so he was lying on his back across the couch. "I just need some time to process things," He murmured. He abruptly let out an "OOF" as the wind was knocked out of him, caused by Noda stabbing his gut with the dull end of his halberd.

"You don't get time!" The purple-haired teen shouted in Soul's face. "You get your butt of the couch, you get your butt out that door, and you get your butt on the battlefield!" He shouted.

Soul's eyes became hard. Acting on instinct he didn't know he had, he quickly grabbed the sheath of the halberd and swung both it and Noda around before releasing at the precise time that resulted in Noda being slammed into the wall next to Takeyama. The purple-haired boy looked dazed, staring at the ceiling.

"Man, Yurippe… The new guy's strong…" He moaned.

Yuri found herself smirking. "We could use that strength," She grinned.

Soul's eyes widened. "Wait, hold up!" He exclaimed. "I never said I was joining you! I don't even know if this place is real or not!"

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Do I need to explain it again? You're dead. This high school is where teenagers who have had unfulfilled lives go when they've died. Your lingering emotions keep you here. If you let go, that's one way to get obliterated," She declared. "Our job in the Battlefront is not only to defy god, but to preserve ourselves. We _refuse_," She slammed her hand on the desk for emphasis, "To get obliterated."

Soul frowned, staring at his hands that were currently folded in his lap. "If that's true," He said quietly, "Then why am I here? What lingering emotions do I have? I don't remember anything."

Otonashi sighed. "I wish I knew. I can't remember my life, either," He murmured. "But… The Battlefront's become my home. We're like a family."

"Aw, that's sweet!" Ooyama cooed. "Thanks, Otonashi!"

"I suppose I'm your brother, then?" Hinata chuckled, throwing his arm around Otonashi's shoulder as he grinned.

Soul slowly began to smile. He wanted his memories back, of course, but right now being dead didn't seem too terrible. If he really was dead, anyway.

* * *

_This Life_

I awoke to the sound of a monotone, drawn-out droning beep. I found this strange as I rubbed sleep out of my eyes and sat up. I had evidently fallen asleep while sitting in a chair, leaning over onto a bed. The sunlight streaming through the window had woken me. I didn't understand why I was here, and not in my bed at home. All the while that beep droned on in the background; a never-ending, dead note.

Dead.

My emerald eyes suddenly widened. The events of the previous evening were coming back, hitting me with the unbearable shock and trauma that we had experienced.

I stared down at the white-haired boy on the hospital bed I had been sleeping against. My breath became ragged as I began to have trouble inhaling. I grasped his wrist, desperately feeling for a heartbeat. However, the droning beep sounded on, screaming at me that my efforts were futile. But I'm a stubborn girl. I refused to believe that machine, even after I felt the lack of a pulse myself.

I refuse to believe it.

Tears unwillingly began to trickle down my cheeks and splatter the white bed sheets. I clutched his lifeless hand, as if that would cause him to open his eyes and flash his signature cocky grin at me once again. But no such thing happened.

My tears were to the point of clouding my vision as I heard the dispensary door open.

"She's awake," Stein's voice reached my ears. I made out the sound of designer shoes clacking hastily against the tiled floor, growing louder as their owner rushed to my side and threw his arms around me.

"Maka… My sweet Maka… I'm so sorry…" My father blubbered, his arms tight as he hugged me while he knelt in the floor next to me. For once, I didn't push him away. I needed someone to touch right now, reminding me that not all was dead in the world.

But all was dead in my world.

I leaned over once again as Papa let go of me, and I wrapped my arms around the boy on the hospital bed before me. I hugged him to my chest, his head falling down over my shoulder, allowing his white hair to brush my face. I sniffed, trying to push down my sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Maka," My father repeated. "He left while you both were asleep. We didn't want to wake you."

I shook, my every breath pained knowing that someone dear to me could no longer breathe as I did. "Y-you didn't let me s-say goodbye," I whispered, my grip on his shirt tightening. "Why d-didn't you let m-me say goodbye to him?!" I screamed suddenly. I had lost him. I felt as if my heart had been ripped out of my chest, now that my Soul had been ripped out of my arms.

Papa put his hand on my shoulder as I continued to sob. I heard slight clicks, knowing that Stein was standing in the doorway and twisting his bolt. Maybe he was trying to figure out something to say. My presumptions were confirmed when he spoke after a while.

"Soul was very brave. He held on for much longer than we thought he would," He murmured, taking a drag from his cigarette despite the rules against smoking in the school. "As he was going under for the operation, he said that he was glad it was him and not you."

My professor had just said the wrong thing. As Papa reprimanded him, I began sobbing harder, staining the shirt of the boy in my arms with my tears. It wasn't like he was going to be using it anymore…

An agonized cry burst from my chest and split the air as I sunk ever deeper into my regret and sorrow.

"SOUL!"

* * *

**So, there's the first chapter. How is it?**

**In case you haven't noticed: The first section of each chapter, titled "_The Next Life_," will be in 3rd person and about Soul and the Battlefront. The last section of each chapter, titled "_This Life_," will be in 1st person and from Maka's point of view about what happens after the living world finds out Soul's dead. I'll leave it a mystery as to _exactly how_ he died, though, but it'll be revealed soon. ;)**

**I hope you continue to read "_My Soul, Your Beats!_", and I shall see you next chapter!**


	2. Hello

**Forgot the disclaimer in the last chapter. Don't kill me… *I disclaim* I don't own Angel Beats!, Soul Eater, the song "My Soul, Your Beats!", or any other song or band mentioned. Lots of things to disclaim in this fic… Makes me feel unoriginal.**

_**My Soul, Your Beats!**_

**Chapter 2**

_**Hello**_

* * *

"_Hello,_

_I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to._

_I'm the lie living for you so you can hide."_

Hello, Evanescence

* * *

_The Next Life_

Sunlight streamed through the dormitory window as the alarm clock went off and sounded the seventh hour; the opportune time for students to wake and meet the day. However, one student was rather quick to destroy the device as he knocked it off his desk.

Upon hearing the crash, Ooyama sat up straight in his bed and stared at his roommate. "How'd you do that to the alarm clock, Soul?" He exclaimed.

Soul's red eyes pried open slowly, as if it took immense effort to lift his eyelids. The silver-haired boy took a passive glance at the alarm clock that now lay in pieces upon the floor before he pulled the covers over his shoulders again.

"Dunno," He yawned, displaying rows of sharpened teeth to the world.

The brown-haired boy slid out of bed and inspected the shattered device. "It looks like you cut it in half with a sword!" He declared, to which Soul simply chuckled.

"No sword here," He mumbled, sitting up. He ran a hand through his soft white hair, trying to remember the dream he had last night. He knew he had one, but he couldn't remember details. There was a fight, maybe, and definitely lots of red. Perhaps blood? Perhaps his blood? Possibly it was a recollection of his own death. But if that was the case, then why couldn't he see himself in this dream? All he saw was a red and black scythe being wielded by a beautiful emerald-eyed girl…

"Soul? Hey Soul, are you okay?" Ooyama was waving his hand in front of his roommate's face. "You spaced out. We need to get breakfast and be ready for class," He smiled gently at him. The latter blinked out of his trance and merely nodded. This world felt empty to him, as if something important was missing from his daily life. However, he went along with it, getting in his new Battlefront uniform rather than the typical school outfits and following Ooyama to breakfast.

"I'm glad you're all here this morning," Yuri began. Everyone was now seated in the Battlefront's headquarters, munching on cereal or whatever breakfast food they had chosen to consume.

"I would like to continue briefing our newest member on the Battlefront's procedures before we go into class. He's one of us now, so under no circumstances do we want him to get obliterated. Any advice?" The green-eyed leader said.

"Stay away from Angel," Fujimaki said to the newest member.

"Mm-hm," Soul mumbled, not really comprehending what was being said as he wolfed down a bowl of frosted flakes.

"She looks kinda creepy," Matsushita pointed out. "She's short, with long silver hair and gold eyes. Kinda like a girly version of you, Soul."

"If you start hanging out with Angel, you'll get obliterated," Hinata warned. "We fight her whenever she threatens us by getting too close. Always keep a weapon ready."

Soul nodded again in a bored manner, until he heard the word "weapon". Instantly his head shot up as a forgotten instinct was triggered. He didn't know what this instinct was telling him to do, however, so he remained silent and slunk back into his seat.

Yuri narrowed her eyes slightly, as Soul didn't seem to be paying attention. She let it slide, however, as she addressed the rest of the group. "We won't need to go to the guild to get Soul weapons, as we just went recently for Otonashi."

Soul looked down at his hand when Hinata handed him a pistol at that moment. "She's yours, buddy," The blue-haired boy smiled.

The teen's red eyes scanned the gun, looking it up and down. He spoke after a moment; "What's her name?"

The other guild members instantly looked confused.

"Ain't got the beat," TK spoke up randomly, waving his arms around to a rhythm only he could hear.

"What do you mean, 'what's her name'?" Yui spoke up. "Guns don't have names, moron!"

Soul was silent as he looked the gun over. He felt as if there should be something more to it, as if the thing in his hand should be more than just a pistol. It needed more… Personality? Humanity?

The white-haired teen continued to look the gun over. Suddenly there was a voice in his head, speaking out a name that he instantly chose for his weapon.

"Maka," He murmured. "Her name is Maka."

The other member continued to give him strange looks, but spoke no more of it as Yuri gave them the rundown of the day's plans.

"All right, guys. Today in gym, we'll be playing basketball. Angel will, of course, be attending. However, she's only viewing the game. There will be a series of scrimmages before determining the two teams to compete against one another in the final championship," Yuri explained. "This is an excellent opportunity to keep an eye on Angel. We'll need some guys to go undercover and spy on her, too see if we can discover more about her. However, at the same time, we'll need to switch the people in disguises out so it looks like the entire Battlefront is simply enjoying a game of basketball."

"Sounds confusing…" Sighed Otonashi.

Hinata chuckled. "Oh, we've had worse. One time she had me dress up as a chicken. I still don't know why."

Soul looked up from his new pistol for a moment. His gaze swept around the other members of the Battlefront, before a fanged grin grew across his face.

"Let's do it."

The other members cheered a battle cry, ready to overcome their newest challenge. But first, they had to combat their grades.

Within the next hour, Soul looked down at the paper in his hands. His fingers gripped it tightly as sweat beaded on his forehead.

His thoughts swirled with profanities. "_Why did I have to die just when they're taking a test?_" He growled. "_On a subject I know nothing about, apparently. Stupid amnesia. I can imagine quite a few places that I'd rather go after I died other than back to high school._"

The cimson-eyed boy glanced at Hinata, who was in the seat next to him. The former leaned over to speak with his ally when the teacher's back was turned.

"Psst," Soul whispered. "I have no idea what we're doing."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Really? C'mon Soul, it's just reading comprehension. Read what's on the paper, and answer the questions after it."

Soul felt like pulling out his hair. "I can't read _Japanese_," He hissed.

Hinata sighed. "Don't know what to tell you, then. They're just true-or-false, I guess you could just fill in a random blank and hope for the best."

It was Soul's turn to sigh, as lazy as ever. "Can't you just gimme the answers?" He pleaded.

"Evans. Hinata. Are you giving each other answers?" The teacher spoke up. Both addressed parties paled.

"Of course not, sir," Hinata chuckled awkwardly. "Soul just wanted to know how the baseball game went the other day, seeing as he's new and all…"

The teacher glared at them. "Well, you don't need to tell him during class," He walked between the desks until he stood between the two. Looking at Soul's paper, he scowled. "Evans, have you not written _anything_ on your test?"

Soul flinched. "No sir…"

"Perhaps you should talk to the student body president to be informed on how our students are expected to do their work around here," The teacher muttered, walking back to his desk.

Soul breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of only facing the student body president, but Hinata grabbed his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," He whispered, noticing Soul's sigh.

The white-haired teen smirked. "Why not? If all I gotta do is talk to some student, I'll be fine."

Hinata swiftly shook his head, panic and dire urgency in his eyes. "No, Soul, that's terrible."

Soul's crimson eyes began to widen, picking up on his new friend's desperation. "How so?"

"You two, but out the whispering. Hinata, you're getting sent to the president, too." The teacher demanded.

The blue-haired teen grew considerably paler than he already was before straightening up in his seat. He wrote something on a small paper before passing it to Soul discreetly. The latter unfolded the paper and stiffened upon reading its contents.

"_The student body president_," Hinata had wrote, "_Is Angel._"

* * *

_This Life_

Papa had to physically drag me away from the dispensary. I wanted to be with Soul through all of this, but Papa told me that I should leave my partner to Stein to get him in the morgue and prepare him for his funeral. I struggled against him, but my father had a firm hold on me.

"Maka, you can't do anything to help him now," Papa murmured calmly in my ear as he pulled me backwards. I dug my heels into the floor, but that didn't create much resistance.

Tears poured down my face as I was pulled further away from Soul. I voiced no protests, but continued to try and jerk away from my father's grip. He simply sighed, never faltering as he heaved me outside and into his car. I didn't try to escape anymore at that point. I had accepted my fate, but I still couldn't accept Soul's.

I collapsed into the backseat, sprawling across it. Papa didn't scold me for not wearing a seatbelt, and for that I was grateful. He knew what I was going through to some degree, I suppose. He knew how difficult losing a loved one could be.

"Maka," He spoke up after a while, "I think it'd be best if you stayed at my house for a while, until you feel comfortable with being home without him." He looked back at me with a soft smile when he stopped at an intersection. "Is that all right?"

I nodded numbly. I just wanted to be alone.

I didn't see where we drove; either my eyes were closed or I wasn't paying attention, but I could tell when Papa turned into his driveway after a while. He opened the door behind me slowly before sighing. While neither of us said a word, he gently picked me up and carried me into his house. I clutched his shirt like a child.

He set down on the leather couch after stepping through the house and into the living room. I had never bothered to visit his house before, but I had assumed he had a nice house due to his salary as a Death Scythe. "Nice" was a great understatement when referring to this house, however I hardly noticed as I buried my face in a couch cushion.

I picked my head up gradually, facing Papa, who was sitting in armchair with one hand supporting his head with his elbow sitting on the armrest. He had a vacant look in his eyes and on his face, as if he was staring at some specter only he could see.

"Papa," I murmured, causing him to jolt back to reality and face me.

"Yes, sweetie?" He asked caringly. Apparently I was coming back to my senses, because I grimaced slightly when he called me that.

"Can I call Mama?" I requested. Papa was still for a moment, closing his eyes before he nodded.

"Of course, dear," He told me, standing. "I'll get the phone for you."

I uttered a quiet thanks as I sat up straight. I knew Mama usually didn't pick up the phone when Papa called her, but I was praying with all my heart that she would, just this once.

My father handed the phone to me after dialing. "I hope she picks up," He said. I nodded in silent agreement before home phone to my ear. It rang three times. After four it would've stopped ringing entirely, but I heard the faint _click _of the other end of the line becoming active.

"This better be important, Death Scythe," I heard Kami Albarn's voice. She never called Papa by his first name anymore.

"Mama?" I spoke. "This is Maka."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment. "Maka?" My mother's voice held disbelief. "What are you doing in your father's house?"

I sniffed, beginning to cry again. "I don't want to go back to my apartment," I murmured.

"Oh… Maka," Mama's voice was gentle. "Is that Soul guy being a jerk? I'm sorry you have to have so many bad experiences with men…"

"No!" I quickly cut her off. "No, Mama. S-soul isn't a jerk," I shook. "Soul's amazing. The best partner out there. He…" Tears filled my eyes. "He died for me, Mama. S-soul is dead."

I had admitted it. There was no more denying that cruel reality that was my partner's death; I myself had confessed it.

I no longer kept my emotional words to myself. I told Mama everything that happened, but my speech probably weren't comprehensible through my sobbing. I cried my heart out over the phone, while Mama's words and Papa's arms tried to console me.

* * *

**Slowly, more is being revealed about Soul's death. We'll see the full story soon, so I'll see you next chapter! Please review and tell me what you think so far! :3**


	3. What Hurts The Most

***I disclaim* I don't own Angel Beats!, Soul Eater, the song "My Soul, Your Beats!", or any other song or band mentioned.**

**_My Soul, Your Beats!_**

**Chapter 3**

**_What Hurts the Most_**

* * *

_"It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go…_

_It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone."_

What Hurts the Most, Cascada

* * *

_The Next Life_

Soul reached into his pocket, fingering his gun. His breathing was heavy with the anticipation that had been forced upon him by the reaction of Hinata and the rest of the Afterlife Battlefront after discovering the duo's appointment with Angel.

"This is bad," Ooyama whimpered as the topic was discussed over lunch.

"You've only been here a day, Soul!" Exclaimed Noda angrily. "And already you're getting called to meet with Angel? Man, are you a total idiot?" He growled, pointing his halberd at Soul's face again and driving the axe edge into the red-eyed teen's lunch. The result was getting the entire table and its occupants splattered in instant ramen.

Soul glared at him. "The heck, Noda? That was my lunch!" He snapped, standing up.

"Here," Takamatsu handed Soul an extra meal ticket. "We have a bunch of these thanks to Operation Tornado last week."

Soul nodded curtly in thanks, grabbing the ticket and stalking off. His apprehension had spawned frustration, and Noda impaling his lunch didn't help.

"Mm," Matsushita pulled the noodles off of his uniform and ate them. "Chicken flavor."

Soul grouchily got another cup of ramen, ready to prepare it, when gentle piano music reached his ears. Standing straight from his slumped position, he looked out the cafeteria door, from where the sound was coming. He took a glance back at his companions, seeing Noda swinging his Halberd around, Ooyama ducking to avoid getting beheaded, Matsushita picking noodles off his clothes, Takamatsu taking off his ramen-covered shirt, and Hinata looking rather pale as he stared at his untouched bento box. Rolling his eyes at their evident incompetence, Soul walked out of the cafeteria to try and find the source of the music.

The white-haired teen couldn't explain why he was so compelled to follow the sound of the piano. Maybe it was some far-off memory making itself known. He didn't think about it much, however, as he simply tried to find the source of the tune.

Soul stopped in front of the door to what seemed to be a music room. Various musical instruments were littered about the floors and leaning against the wall in immense disarray. Stepping in the room, he noticed the large black piano. A girl sat there, her fingers gently caressing the keys as if she was stroking a beloved pet. Soul found himself smiling as he walked up the girl.

"Impressive playing," He smiled. The girl paused, turning around to face Soul. She had long white hair that fell to her waist, and emotionless golden eyes. Forgetting Matsushita's warning against a girl with such an appearance, he sat to the left of her on the piano bench. "Mind if I join you?"

The girl stared at him. "You are the new boy, right?" She asked quietly, her voice soft and gentle but monotonous.

Soul nodded. "Yep," He chuckled, fingering the lower keys. He smirked slightly when what he played actually sounded like a tune. "Maybe I can play piano," He grinned at the golden-eyed girl, who nodded and resumed her playing. While she carried the sultry notes, Soul introduced a dark harmony to the piece that only made her notes seem lighter. It fit together perfectly.

Soul could feel the passion flowing from his soul to his fingertips. His entire body moved with the force and energy he put into his playing, and he felt sweat drip down his nose. But he didn't care. He would rather do nothing else than play for Maka.

"Who's Maka?"

The teen stopped playing, his fingers frozen as they hovered above the keys. The girl next to him caused her music, as well.

"Are you all right? I did not say anything about a Maka," She murmured.

A tremor went down Soul's spine, jolting him back to the world. He looked at the girl next him strangely.

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked, to which she nodded.

"I do not know who Maka is, either," She told him.

The red-eyed boy sighed as he stood, with the golden-eyed girl following suit. "I feel like I need to know," He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. "I think she might be important."

The girl looked down at the piano. "Have you no memories?" She questioned, pulling the cover over the black-and-white patterned keys.

Soul shook his head in response. "Not really. Sometimes I feel like some memory will get jolted into my head, but it's brief and I can't retain it," He replied, picking his cup of noodles off of the floor next to the bench where he had set it. "Great. I've probably missed lunch," He muttered. He straightened up, taking another glance at the girl next to him. "Hey, you play pretty well. Thanks for letting me join."

She nodded. "You play well, too."

The silver-haired boy smirked, walking out the door and looking at his schedule for the location of his next class. His stomach was already growling, longing for the ramen he had never consumed, but he tried to ignore it and wait until after classes and his meeting with the Student Body President to eat.

Despite his resolve, Soul felt weak with hunger all through history class. The words on the blackboard were blurring, and it didn't help that they were in Japanese. He was yawning with exhaustion after their last class as they were ushered to meet with Angel. Soul tried at the back of the vice president's green haired-head, trying to take his mind off the dangerous encounter before him. It wasn't very hard. The vice president's deep green hair was starting to remind him of the green spices in a cup of ramen. It was a very loose connection, but Soul was starving.

"_Green hair… Green spices on noodles… Ramen… Mm, ramen…_"

Drool began to drip out of the corner of the white-haired teen's mouth, but then an elbow to the ribs brought him out of his hunger-induced trance.

"Wipe that drool off your face!" vice president Naoi scowled at him, pulling his arm back. "You are about to meet the Student Body President! Stand up straight, make yourselves presentable, and make your stomach stop growling!"

"Can't do that without feeding it, genius," Soul muttered, rubbing his bruised rib.

Naoi glared daggers at him. "What did you just say?" He hissed.

Soul put on a terribly sarcastic grin. "I said that you're a genius," He chuckled, wiping the drool off of his face with his sleeve. Hinata, scared out of his wits, hadn't said a word this whole time.

Naoi continued to glare at the two, swinging the doors open and shoving Soul and Hinata inside before he slammed the door behind them. Soul's apprehension returned, dreading facing the horrible Angel as his gaze swept to the other side of the wooden table where she sat, shadowed by the sunset behind her.

"Oh. You are the boy from earlier," The golden-eyed girl noted. "Are you being a problem student?"

"What?!" Hinata whispered loudly, grabbing Soul's shirt collar and pulling him to him with one hand, while his other pointed at Angel. "You met her earlier?!"

"Yeah," Soul rasped, "She's pretty good at piano, and I didn't know she was Angel…"

"Could you two please sit down?" Angel motioned to the two chairs across from her. Hinata gulped, releasing his grip on Soul and sitting down. The latter took a large gulp of air before doing the same.

"Do you know why you are in here today?" Angel asked.

Hinata nodded slowly. "Yeah… We were whispering in class, and Soul left all his papers blank…"

"Why were you whispering in class?" She continued to interrogate him, but her tone never changed.

"Soul needed help on his tests," The blue-haired teen mumbled, sinking lower into his chair with every answer.

The golden-eyed girl turned to Soul. "What is the problem? Why do you need so much help and left your papers blank?" She questioned.

Soul watched the girl. He couldn't believe that everyone was so scared of a seemingly harmless student, but if the rumors were true, he couldn't get near her without fearing for his life here.

"I can't read Japanese," He deadpanned. "Only English.

Angel nodded. "That problem has a simple solution. We shall make sure you get papers in English. Other students need their papers like that as well, so one more should not be too much trouble," She turned back to Hinata. "You must stop whispering to each other in class, however. You two are dismissed."

Hinata breathed a deep sigh of relief as he and Soul stood and stepped out.

"It's amazing that she didn't come at us with her blades," He noted afterwards as they walked to the Battlefront's headquarters.

Soul looked over his shoulder as he saw Angel exit the room behind her. She didn't seem very dangerous to him, but he was in the Battlefront now, and if their leader said to be wary of her, that was what he would do.

* * *

_This Life_

I buried my face in the couch cushions, pulling the blanket Papa had given me around my body.

"Can you be over here as soon as possible? No, I can't tell you what it's about. I think it'd be better if Maka told you herself. Yes, she's over here. I thought that was implied… Yes, I'll admit you're a big star, but really this about Maka… Can I please speak to Tsubaki instead?"

My father's exasperated voice reached my ears.

"_So he's calling my friends over to comfort me_…" I sighed, pulling the blanket over my head. He hadn't told me who he was going to call after Mama had to go and we had hung up, but he took the phone and I didn't hear him put it back on its charger. He must have been pacing, because I heard the sounds of his shoes hitting the floor and of his voice getting louder and quieter as he wandered across the house. He often paced when he got worried over me, but it was becoming irritating.

"Yes, my house, Tsubaki. Can you be over as soon as possible, then? That's great. Thank you." He hung up then dialed another number. The sound of the beeps produced by his thumbs pressing against the buttons were all the same, meaning he pressed the same button ten times. There's only one person I know with a number like that.

After dialing 888-888-8888, Papa began pacing again. "Hello, Liz. Can I speak to Kid? I don't care if he's cleaning, this is important. Yes, I know how upset he gets," I heard him growl, "Elizabeth, my baby girl is terribly upset and to help console her I need to talk to Kid NOW. Thank you."

I closed my eyes, not really caring how the rest of the conversation went as I let darkness rise and carry me down into sleep.

Dreams weren't welcome, but they came anyway. I kept on seeing Soul's limp body, broken after he had shielded me, but the scene of his death continued to replay and gradually became darker and more twisted. The final one, and the absolute worst, was a scenario in which I had gone mad and killed Soul myself. His terrified eyes, filled with betrayal, were so real I felt as if I was seeing my partner once again as I cackled manically and stabbed him repeatedly.

"Maka! Hey, Maka! Wake up! Despair no longer, your star has arrived!"

Calloused hands shook me violently. My eyes pried open as dizziness begun to overcome me, and I could barely make out Black*Star's face.

"Black*Star, stop shaking her!" Tsubaki pulled her meister back. "Are you okay, Maka?"

I near immediately recovered physically, but my emotional pain was still too real. I shook my head, curling into a ball.

"We came as soon as we could," Kid told me. The group was huddled around the couch I had been sleeping on, with the Thompson sisters leaning over the back and the others in front.

Patty was looking around absentmindedly. "Why are ya in your Daddy's house? Did Soul burn down the apartment?" She asked.

I flinched at her words. "No…" I murmured quietly.

"Where is Soul, anyway?" Black*Star questioned.

I burrowed deeper into my blankets. I saw Kid raise an eyebrow, noticing that I was avoiding the question.

"Yeah, where is he?" Liz said. "Haven't seen Soul since we celebrated the announcement your one-hundredth mission over at Gallows. Did you see the dance he did?" She giggled. "I think it was his 'happy dance', and who wouldn't be excited after finally going to get their witch's soul, but he looked like a cross between a chicken and a walrus trying to do the hula."

My eyes began to cloud with tears as I remembered that night. We had finally gotten a chance at redeeming ourselves, and to go get a witch's soul again. We were all so happy. How could we know what was going to happen within that week? My body began to shake with silent sobs, and I squeezed my eyes shut to try and stop the tears.

I heard Tsubaki gasp, and felt her hand on my shoulder. "Maka," She murmured. "What's wrong?"

I allowed my eyes to open and look into her deep purple ones. I hugged her suddenly, crying into her shoulder like a child.

"Huh?" Patty said. "I don't get it. Why is Maka crying? Where's Soul?"

I whipped around to face her. "Soul is DEAD, Patty!" I found myself shouting, resulting in the room's instant silence. It didn't stay noiseless for long, however. The air quickly filled with the sounds of the girls crying while Kid tried to comfort me, and Black*Star simply glared at the floor, his face shadowed.

It hurt so much, seeing them all here. It hurt to not see Soul high-fiving Black*Star, or Soul pestering Kid on how he was asymmetrical, or Soul giving Patty a piggyback ride, or Soul making fun of Liz obsessing over makeup, or Soul telling Tsubaki how cool she was to be able to put up with Black*Star.

It hurt to see our friends when I was without him.

* * *

**That was sad to write. :( Well, I'll see you next chap! Rate and review, _por favor. _:D**


	4. My Immortal

**SO SORRY for the wait for this chapter. I would give excuses, but I won't and just allow you to read the chapter without my pleads for forgiveness. *I disclaim* I don't own Angel Beats!, Soul Eater, the song "My Soul, Your Beats!", or any other song or band mentioned.**

**_My Soul, Your Beats!_**

**Chapter 4**

**_My Immortal_**

* * *

_"You used to captivate me,_

_By your resonating light._

_Now I'm bound by the life you've left behind…"_

My Immortal, Evanescence

* * *

_The Next Life_

Soul looked around the gymnasium at all the students gathered to play or merely spectate for the basketball tournament.

"So… Most of the students and all of the teachers aren't real? Like NPCs?" He asked Fujimaki, who was sitting next to him on the bleachers while waiting for Yuri to enter with their orders. The latter nodded.

"Yeah," He replied. "Most of us who had a life before belong to the battlefront. There might be some others, but we don't know yet."

Soul nodded absentmindedly. In truth, he had just asked that question to not seem too out of touch with the people around him at the moment. His past had been bugging him ever since the incident earlier when he had learned he could play the piano. Also eating at him was the fact that he had sat directly next to Angel and hadn't been instantly obliterated, like what the others seemed to say would happen. That, and he still hadn't figured out who this 'Maka' was, whose name continued to pop up in his mind without a source, ringing out the like the sound of a bell that he couldn't see. The red-eyed teen's head was swimming with facts; facts that he couldn't explain and were begging to be solved.

Ooyama looked concerned. "Hey, Soul. Are you all right? You look a little pale," He said quietly, to which the silver-haired boy nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah. I'm fine," He assured the brunette. "Just tired. After this game I'm going straight to bed," He smiled good-naturedly, to which Ooyama laughed.

"I hear you! I'm gonna go back to the dorm and take a nice long shower!" He grinned.

"Guys, we're ready!" Yuri whispered loudly, walking up behind the group so discreetly that Hinata jumped and fell off of his seat. The sea green-eyed leader continued to speak while ignoring the blue-haired teen. "Otonashi and Soul are first to monitor Angel, putting on these disguises," She held up a plastic bag, "Then you switch out after the first quarter. I'll give the next orders then. Everyone else needs to play basketball, and win as many games as possible so we stick around for as long as we can to watch Angel's actions. Any questions?"

"But I wanted to go home an' sleep…" Soul groaned quietly before Noda hit him in the back of the head with his halberd.

"Quit complaining and pay attention to our wise leader!" He snapped.

Soul glared at his comrade. "You didn't have to slice up my brains! I can't play basketball and watch Angel with a severed head!" He growled, glaring back at the weapon-wielding teen before sliding on the disguise for Yuri. It included a purple wig, dark sunglasses, and a bathrobe.

"Seriously? These don't look suspicious at all…" Otonashi muttered sarcastically.

"Everyone in your uniforms or your disguises?" Yuri asked.

"I can't see a thing in these sunglasses," Soul mumbled.

"All right everyone," The magenta-haired leader continued, "Operation Slam Dunk is now underway!"

"Sure is an original name," Soul continued to mumble complaints before he ran into the doorway while trying to find his way upstairs to watch Angel. Otonashi sighed, grabbing his hand and pulling his partner towards their destination. They soon slid in behind Angel, ready to monitor her. The silver-haired teen didn't know what they were supposed to see, but Angel did nothing that seemed out of the ordinary during their shift.

They switched out after the first quarter of the first game, as instructed. Handing their outfits to Matsushita and Fujimaki to reveal basketball uniforms underneath, Soul and Otonashi ran to join their teammates on the bleachers.

"See anything?" Ooyama asked the two. Otonashi shook his head.

Soul replied curtly as he sat down, "Not a dang thing. I don't see what's so terrible about Angel," He said. Otonashi sighed, sitting down beside his red-eyed comrade.

"I don't either," He agreed. "But I've seen what she's capable of, and the others have seen more of it. She can be dangerous, and it's best that the Battlefront avoid her unless we're tracking her," He murmured.

Suddenly Noda groaned as he came back from the court. "We're getting creamed out there! Does anyone in this group know how to play basketball?!"

"For the record, Noda, you don't know how to play either," Takeyama reminded him.

Shiina rolled her eyes. "This is all so stupid."

"Up and down," TK waved his arms around.

Soul sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I might know how to play basketball. I don't remember, but this all seems familiar," He said.

Yuri clapped a hand on his shoulder. "That's great. We need to stay in these games for as long as possible to keep the most surveillance on Angel," She told him. "If you're a good player, we can make it to the finals."

It was then that the referee's whistle blew, giving the signal to resume the game. Yuri pushed Soul forward.

"You're on offense. Get out there! For the Battlefront!" She let out a battle cry, to which the others responded, Soul included. It made him feel like part of the group.

Soul took the ball pretty quickly. He dribbled it towards the opposite basket, but he was getting blocked often.

"Soul! I'm open!" He heard Hinata shout, waving his arms some yards to the silver-haired teen's right. Soul nodded, ready to pass, but unexpectedly froze. Suddenly all the people around him appeared to function in slow motion. The entire court was seemingly fading away, leaving behind a quiet, much smaller court in a corner of a park.

The sun laughed at him as it shone, but he felt used to it somehow. Hinata had been replaced by a hyper-looking boy with spiked blue hair, jumping up and down.

"Soul! Soul! I'm open, I'm open!" He yelled. "Hey, are you listening? Patty's gonna get the ball!"

A blonde girl suddenly swiped the ball away from him, sticking out her tongue. "Ya snooze, ya lose!" She jeered childishly, throwing the ball in the hoop.

"Wrong goal, Patty!" A raven-haired teen with strange white stripes in his hair screamed at her. "You just gave them a point!"

"YAHOO!" Hollered the blue-haired kid.

"Does that mean you won?" Two tall girls asked, one with long dark hair pulled back in a high ponytail and the other with medium-length brown hair.

"Yay! We won, Soul!"

Soul felt arms around his shoulders and a soft kiss on his cheek. He turned to face his affectionate teammate, and his eyes widened.

It was the green-eyed girl.

Suddenly Soul felt a sharp blow to his head. The calm sunlight and friendly voices of his vision were quickly traded for the glaring lights and loud crowds of the school gymnasium. He collapsed to the floor, spots dancing across his vision. Otonashi knelt next to him.

"Oh no, I'm really sorry, Soul! I wasn't looking where I was going, and I ran into you… Did I hit your head?! Soul, can you hear me?" He yelled. His voice sounded far away, and it began to blend with all the other noises around him; the referee's whistle, the crowd's concerned voices, the sound produced by the shoes of his comrades on the court rushing to get him…

It all faded out as Soul's world was enveloped in darkness. However, it didn't stay dark for long. Someone was calling his name, cheering.

"We did it, Soul! That's our ninety-ninth soul!"

The red-eyed teen found himself gazing into deep green irises. Everything felt as if he was looking through someone else's eyes, unable to control his actions. But he knew all of what was going on. Firstly, he was a living scythe; a human with the ability to change his form into that of a deadly weapon. His partner and he had just collected one of their final souls on their mission to train him to be a Death Scythe; a special weapon to be wielded by the Grim Reaper himself. They just had to collect a witch's soul, and then Soul could join the ranks of the strongest Demon Weapons in the world.

"_How do I know all this?_" Soul wondered to himself, "_Maybe this is a memory? My memories?_"

The memory version of Soul smirked at the green-eyed girl, giving her a thumbs up. "We did, didn't we? Just one more to go, right Maka?"

"_That's right,_" Soul thought. "_Maka's her name. The green-eyed girl. My partner._"

Maka nodded at him, cheerful. "Let's hope it goes better than last time!" She grinned, beginning to walk down the streets towards home. Soul could remember last time they had tried to get a witch's soul, and the twisted results.

"Stupid cat," He muttered, but couldn't stop grinning. They were finally going to do it; Soul was finally going to become a Death Scythe. He pulled a phone out of his pocket, dialing 888-888-8888. "Hey, Kid?" He smirked. "How fast can you and your partners whip up a party at the Gallows? Why? Whuddaya mean, why? We're going to get our witch's soul!" He jumped up, pumping the air with his fist. Nothing could break his energy, and Maka burst out laughing at his antics.

The blonde walked to the nearest window, breathing on it before wiping some numbers in the fog left behind by her breath to contact Lord Death. Soul pulled up next to her with his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, leaning over behind Maka and resting his head on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes jokingly, shoving him off. "Get serious. We're going to talk to Lord Death about our mission," She giggled.

Soul didn't remember much of the conversation, he was too excited. He didn't normally get this enthusiastic about things, he noted. It was uncool. However, this time he made an exception. This was their chance to redeem themselves; to finally retrieve that elusive witch's soul and promote him to a status of great power and honor. That'd be so cool. Not only that, he remembered.

He was going to confess his affections for Maka right after he consumed the witch's soul. Soul Evans loved Maka Albarn, and the day of their ultimate victory would be the perfect time to admit the feelings growing within his soul that had been aware of ever since the scythe discovered he was willing to die for his meister.

After the call ended, Maka turned around to smile at him. "We're going to go out Monday and collect it!" She beamed, hugging him with her own enthusiasm. The silver-haired teen hugged her back, letting her believe it was just excitement. But it was so much more.

"C'mon," He smiled at her when he broke away, however reluctantly. "Kid's setting up a party at Gallows Manor in celebration," He smirked. Much to his surprise, Maka smirked back.

"Race ya!" She exclaimed before she took off. Soul stood dumbfounded for a moment, before laughed and followed her.

"_The party was amazing,_" Soul recollectedas he watched the memory continue to unfold. "_There weren't many people there; just me, Maka, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Crona, Blair, Kid, Patty and Liz. But it was by no means a small party,_" He chuckled."_Everyone laughed at my victory dance. Black*Star got high on gummy bears and started swinging from the chandelier, Blair hugged me and I about passed out from suffocation and blood loss, Crona didn't know how to deal with anything going on around him, and the girls tried to give Maka a makeover, with the results being her constantly dodging the lipstick and it getting smeared on Kid's couch instead. He threw a fit over that,_" He laughed. However, his joy was quickly halted when he remembered a crucial point. "_But that was the last time I saw them_. _All my friends…_" His face fell. "_I never hung out with them again. I died the next day._"

It was then that his eyes snapped open. It took Soul a moment to process where he was, but he quickly remembered what had happened at last night's basketball game and that he was in the nurse's office in the afterlife. Rays of morning sunshine filtered through the veiled window as he sat up. His head still throbbed from last night's events.

"_But all those memories_," He thought, "_Are they real? Or just a dream?_" He glanced down at his arm, resolve growing in his red eyes. "_Only one way to find out._" He closed his eyes, trying to remember what he had been in his dream.

"_I was a living scythe. I AM a living scythe._"

He took a deep breath.

"_Try to remember the feeling of parts of my body being parts of a scythe._"

Soul concentrated on that thought, processing it over and over in his mind. After a minute of this, he held his arm before his face and opened his eyes. The silver-haired teen froze, staring at what was formerly his lower arm, but was now a red-and-black scythe's blade.

* * *

_This Life_

All my friends decided that they were going to spend the night, and I didn't object. I felt hollow; like I had cried my soul out through my tears and there was nothing left within me.

I huddled up on the couch, pulling the blanket around me. My friends were silent; busying themselves with either cooking dinner, straightening the pictures on the walls, sulking, or in Patty's case, coloring. However, everywhere they went, they left little wet dots of their sorrow behind. Liz and Tsubaki left wet dots on the countertop. Kid left wet dots on the carpet beneath the photos he attempted to perfect. Black*Star left wet dots on his arm when he tried to wipe them away from his eyes, and the pages in Patty's coloring book got so many wet dots that they crinkled up when they dried. They all could still cry. I had nothing left.

I glanced out the window at the sunset. It was only yesterday, around this time, that my world begun to crumble as Soul started to slowly slip through my fingers. It felt like so long ago, but it also felt so recent that I had him in my hands as I sliced at the witch in vain attempts to save both of our lives.

The doorbell rang abruptly, breaking me from my thoughts. Tsubaki went to answer it, and I heard a panicked boy's voice reach my ears.

"Are Maka and Soul here?! They weren't at their apartment, and I asked all over and they said Maka was here, but they wouldn't tell me anything about Soul! What's going on?" Crona cried. He had gone on a mission yesterday morning, and it seemed that he had just recently returned home. We hadn't had any means to contact him, and I assumed that was the reason Papa hadn't called him with my other friends.

"Maka's in the living room," Tsubaki said quietly, "On the couch."

Crona rushed to my side, fear all over his face. "She's not telling me about Soul, either!" He exclaimed, coming to stand in front of me. "Maka, I don't know how to deal with this! Where's Soul?"

I stared into his pale eyes, sighing. The poor boy would be crushed if I told him what happened; he didn't need any more traumas in his life. But he had waited long enough, and it was better to tell him than continue to lie or stay silent and let him figure it out on his own.

"Crona," I said quietly, "Soul's and my mission failed. We didn't get the witch's soul."

The pink-haired boy's expression became one of sympathy, but I wasn't done.

"Soul didn't survive the fight," I continued, my voice emotionless. "The witch killed him."

Crona's eyes widened, staring at me. "No," He whispered after a while. "Soul… Soul couldn't have died!" He shouted, wrapping his arms around himself and squeezing his eyes shut. "He was my friend! Friends don't die! B-bad guys die!" He sobbed. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he shook violently. "W-we all said we'd be friends forever! B-but we can't be friends forever if we start dying! Was… Was it a l-lie? C-can we not be f-friends forever?"

I remained silent. I didn't know how to comfort him. And even if I knew how, I don't think I could have. I was hollow. I was a shell. I didn't know how to keep living, and poor Crona was facing the cruel reality that was the death of a loved one.

Kid put an arm around Crona's shoulder, pulling the sobbing boy away, possibly to try and comfort or explain things to him. He was sort of an expert on death, after all, being the son of the Grim Reaper. I didn't want comfort. A shell needs no comfort. A shell just needs a heart to live inside it, and my heart had died along with Soul.

Perhaps my soul felt so dead because there was no other soul pressing against it, I realized. I had never noticed it before, but now that I thought about it, it made sense. Soul's spirit was always against mine, warming and prodding me gently. It was comforting to always have his presence there, right next to mine. Even as we slept in our separate rooms, we still possessed that connection. If we got separated, I'd panic and want that soul next to mine again, and I'd chase it relentlessly until it was pressed comfortingly to mine again.

But now Soul was gone. Gone from my side, gone from this city, gone from this world. And no matter how long or how far I chased it, I could never bring his soul back.

* * *

**That's chapter four, guys! See ya next chap! Please rate, review, follow, favorite, etc.**


	5. How Could This Happen To Me

**Feel free to kill me now. I've made you guys wait for so many chapters… I'm a horrible person. A horrible person with writer's block…**

***I disclaim* I don't own Angel Beats!, Soul Eater, the song "My Soul, Your Beats!", or any other song or band mentioned.**

**_My Soul, Your Beats!_**

**Chapter 5**

**How Could This Happen To Me**

* * *

_"I open my eyes, I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light…"_

_"Everybody's screaming; I try to make a sound but no one hears me…"_

Untitled (How Could This Happen To Me), Simple Plan

* * *

_The Next Life_

Hinata came into Soul's room later that morning, carrying a tray of breakfast. "Hey, looks like you're up," He smiled, setting the tray on his comrade's lap. Soul, however, looked distant. He held his hands behind his head, and was simply staring up at the ceiling. Hinata frowned. "Soul, are you okay?" He asked. Soul glanced at him as if noticing him in the room for the first time.

"Oh. Hey, Hinata," He mumbled, sitting up to eat his breakfast, which consisted of a miniature box of cereal, a plastic spoon, and a quart carton of milk. He opened the cereal package without another word, which caused his caretaker even more concern.

"Soul, I know there's something bothering you," He sighed before he clenched his fist with resolve. "Yuri said I am to take care of you until you recover. So if you're not okay, it's my job to make sure you're okay!" He declared, pointing a finger at Soul's face. The silver-haired teen glanced up at the other boy, looking into his cerulean eyes. He sighed again.

"I think… I got some of my memories back," He murmured. Hinata's eyes widened as Soul continued. "I shouldn't have been out that long just from getting hit in the head with Otonashi's elbow. That basketball game triggered some memories, and I'm starting to remember how I died."

Hinata adopted an expression of empathy. "That's rough," He smiled sadly. "Those memories aren't pretty for anyone."

Soul closed his eyes. "Yeah," He murmured. He clenched his fist slowly. "I had friends; lots of good friends. And… I left them all behind. I didn't say goodbye to anyone. How could I have known I was going to die?" The red-eyed teen was beginning to shake, burying his face in his palms as his elbows rested on the breakfast tray.

Hinata wanted to do something for him, but he was afraid that if he tried to comfort Soul it'd be awkward. So he just nodded, simply leaving Soul to let all his emotions out through his speech.

"My friends were great. My life was great, I had nothing to complain about.. And no matter how much I complained, I loved my school and thought it was way cooler than any other school I could've gone to," He said, running a hand through his hair. "So why do I have lingering emotions? Why do I have to remember my past? Why can't I just move on and forget everything?" Soul rubbed his eyes, and upon finding them wet, grimaced. Crying, especially in front of people, wasn't cool at all. But… He had good reason to cry. He sighed, sliding out of bed silently, and Hinata tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"What are you doing, Soul?" He asked. Soul was still in his basketball uniform from last night. The latter turned to the former, his face expressionless.

"I'm gonna go to the music room," He said as if it was obvious, then walked out the door and down the hall. He needed to pour out his emotions, and he never did have a way with words. For Soul to truly express himself and how he was feeling, his fingers must dance upon ivory keys.

Soul entered the music room soon after. He poked his head in, checking to make sure he was alone. He sighed with relief upon realizing his solitude, and was grateful Angel wasn't around this time. He pulled out the piano bench and lifted up the cover before propping open the top of the instrument. He wanted his music to play loud and true.

The silver-haired scythe sat down on the bench and ran his fingers over the keys gently, not hard enough to produce any notes. He took a deep breath, and then slowly his fingers tapped upon the ivory.

At first the song was quiet, portraying soft sorrow. But the tune began to escalate quickly, carrying tones of frustration and confusion. The music gained a weight to it that represented heavy regret.

"_But I don't know what the heck I'm regretting!_" Soul growled to himself. He continued to let the notes fly from his soul, through his fingers, and onto the instrument in the hopes of detecting some buried memory.

Soul was beginning to pant. He had been playing for a while, but he still hadn't done what he had come to do, so he pressed on through his fatigue.

"_I'm still not done speaking my mind,_" Soul told himself. "_And I STILL don't know what I'm regretting!_" He wanted to slam his head into the keys.

Suddenly a forgotten melody touched the keys. It was gentle at times, but violent the next. It carried tones of fierce determination and resolve. Soul's eyes widened as realization hit him.

"_I know this melody._"

His fingers seemed to be moving on their own.

"_Does that mean she's my lingering emotions?_"

Soul's hands began to move faster.

"_This song is the green-eyed girl. It's Maka._"

The world suddenly spun around Soul through his playing, pushing him into another memory. He still continued his preformance, however, as he saw the memory version of him heading home from school.

The scythe drove his bike through the streets of Death City, Maka clinging to his back. The streetlamps were already on because of the early winter sunset.

Suddenly Soul's bike was jerked out of his control. He began to swerve directly towards a wall, and Maka screamed; "SOUL! What are you doing?!"

The red-eyed teen struggled to get the vehicle back under his rule. "I don't know!" He shouted as he swerved sharply away from the wall. "Someone else's controlling it!" He saw a hedge nearby, and quickly turned towards it. "Maka, when we get close to that hedge, we're going to have to jump on it and abandon the bike!" He shouted above the roar of the engine and the wind.

"But your bike-!" Maka protested, but Soul cut her off.

"Our lives are more important than this bike!" He shouted forcefully, grabbing her arm as they pulled up next to the hedge. The bike was going out of his control again, so when they were close enough to the shrubbery Soul leaped off and pulled Maka with him. The bike shot forward, slamming itself into a wall. Soul held Maka under him, shielding her from the resulting explosion. The sound of the blast echoed through the alleys.

Soul panted, standing up and out of the hedge. Maka was shaking slightly from what she had just experienced. "Soul…" She murmured. "What just happened?"

The scythe shook his head. "I don't know. It was like the bike was driving itself and acting suicidal," He replied.

"Oh dear. You survived."

The gazes of both meister and weapon shot upward to the source of the sneering voice. A woman sat on the roof above, wearing a white robe-like outfit decorated with brightly-colored feathers. "I had hoped to kill you before your mission to kill me."

Maka's stunned expression hardened into a glare. "So you're Coatlus," She snapped. "The witch we're supposed to go after Monday."

Soul's eyes widened as he stared at the witch, pulling Maka close to him. "So you controlled my bike," He growled.

Coatlus grinned, her piercing green eyes seeming to glow from beneath her feathered pointed hat. "No one who has had the foolish desire to attempt to kill me has lived to the date they were supposed to go after me," She pointed out. The witch suddenly jumped from the roof and landed before the two. "Your battle begins now."

The witch swung her arm around, summoning razor-sharp feather-shaped blades out of the air and shooting them towards the two. Soul jumped to the side, grabbing Maka's hand. Her eyes met his in a brief and silent command, grim determination showing in both of their bright irises. The scythe then transformed in his meister's hand into the red-and-black scythe she had learned to wield so skillfully. She deflected Coatlus' next attack with his blade, and then shot forward.

The witch, however, was faster. She flew into the air, black and haggard wings that contrasted with the rest of her graceful appearance sprouting from her back. Maka ran under her in her haste, and skidded to a halt. Coatlus grinned, looking triumphant. However, the blonde meister put to use a skill she had learned recently. She ran at the nearest wall then jumped against it and ricocheted off of it into the air, flying at the witch. Coatlus stared at her, stunned at her ability, when Maka swung Soul around and sliced the witch out of the air.

Crimson blood stained the witch's feathers as she screeched bird-like in agony. Coatlus plummeted to the ground, hitting down with a sickening thud. Maka, however, landed deftly with her back to the witch. She pulled Soul's blade up to face her, smiling slightly. "Looks like you get to be a death scythe early," She told him. Soul grinned in reply, smirking at his meister through his reflection in the blade, when suddenly he froze as he saw movement behind her.

Despite the deep and heavily bleeding gash in her side, Coatlus was still alive.

Coatlus was moving.

Coatlus was charging at his meister's back with a large feather-shaped blade forming out of her sleeve.

Coatlus stabbed Soul through.

Maka's eyes widened. Everything had happened so suddenly, and all she could do was stare at the aftermath and put deadly pieces together.

Her partner had transformed back into his human form in a literal flash, jumping behind his meister and in the way of the blade. His arm remained a scythe's blade, however, and he drove it into Coatlus as her own blade impaled him through the abdomen.

The witch stood there, stunned, as she suddenly comprehended the pain she was feeling. Contrary to her, unconsciousness tugged at Soul from the wound and the blood he has rapidly losing. He fell forward slowly, only driving the blade deeper into his body. Maka gasped, pulling her partner away before both opponents fell to the ground. Coatlus, however, had no one to catch her, and toppled forward before hitting the flagstone.

The ash-blonde meister shook uncontrollably, unable to stand any longer as she sat on her knees on the hard ground, holding her partner's head in her lap. Soul's eyes were slowly closing, but he was fighting the darkness that threatened to overtake him. Tears escaped Maka's eyes and fell onto the face of her partner, which was already wet with his own splattered blood.

"Soul…" Maka whispered gently. "Just stay awake, okay? We're going to take you the academy and have Stein fix you up," Her voice broke as she spoke. Soul had just enough strength to nod, silently implying that he'd try to do as she asked, before his eyes drifted closed and his mind drifted into darkness. But right before he could no longer keep his eyelids open, he saw Maka glance to where Coatlus laid. He heard her chuckle sadly as he lost consciousness.

"You killed a witch, Soul."

Soul's next thoughts after he regained a bit of consciousness were unclear and jumbled. While at first he was in the alley, the next thing he felt was an oxygen mask being thrown over his mouth and nose, but the intense pain continued to flare from his stomach. Bright lights blared in his eyes, and doctors were shouting. When he heard Maka's voice, he tried to focus on her, but it was difficult.

"No, you can't do that to him! You can't!" She screamed at someone. Soul heard Stein's voice reply.

"I'm sorry, Maka. We have to," He said, his voice monotonous despite the deadly situation of the scythe. "We can't perform the procedure unless we put him under."

"But he might not wake up!" The blonde yelled. "He NEEDS to wake up!"

"We'll do our best to ensure he does," Stein sighed. "Now, you're interfering with the workers."

"NO! Stop pushing me!" Maka shouted. Soul glimpsed her face as she was shoved out the door by Stein's rough hands. He wanted to punch him for that. "Soul! You need to wake up, okay? Wake up for me later!"

Soul tried to nod, but instead groaned in pain as a syringe full of drugs was shoved into his arm and he lost consciousness again.

The last note of the piece sounded, and Soul was jerked back to the world of the dead. He panted; sweat dripping down his face and hair from playing the piano through the trauma he had relived. The scythe stood after a moment, closing the piano cover.

"_Was that how I died?_" He thought. "_Did I die after they put me under? Or was there more?_" He sighed, walking off. "_No matter how I died,_" Soul continued, "_I need to get to the Battlefront. Maybe they know a way to get back to Maka._ _I have to see her again._"

Just as Soul thought this, his mind was plunged into darkness once again and he fell against the wall to support himself.

"_What is this?!_" He gasped, clutching his head, _"Another memory?_"

But it quickly proved to be otherwise. For when Soul opened his eyes, he was no longer in the halls of the high school in the afterlife, but staring into a black-and-red floored room with dark curtains and a piano in the corner. What caught the scythe's attention, however, was the girl in a black dress with ash blonde hair and emerald green eyes on the other end of the room. Both gasped, but before he could call out to her, Soul was plunged back into the empty hallway again. His eyes were wide as he stared at nothing, trying to process what had just happened. Despite this, only a few words were clear in his mind.

"_I've seen Maka one more time._"

"_I've got to see her again._"

* * *

_This Life_

I couldn't sleep; I had spent too much time sleeping during the day. I had remained on the couch when everyone planned sleeping conditions, while the other girls left to sleep in my old room, and Kid and Crona decided to reside in the guest room. I leaned over on the couch, hugging the pillow. At this time last night, I believe Stein was shoving me out of the dispensary to operate on Soul. I had pounded on the door, screaming for Soul to stay awake, but I had known that without the anesthesia, my partner would've been put through even more pain. So after a while I stopped trying to break in and remained huddled against the opposite wall, waiting for Stein to open the door and say Soul was fine and that I could see him. Only two of those requests were fulfilled.

"Hey, Maka? You can come see Soul now. But the witch damaged more than I think I can repair. He's constantly drifting in and out of consciousness, and he probably won't live to morning. Just to warn you."

I pounded my hand against the leather of the couch. Why did the professor have to be so cruel? He had crushed me so many times within the past twenty-four hours. I shook, curling up a little tighter under the blanket I had pulled over myself.

"Maka?" I heard Kid's voice murmur out of the blue. "Are you still awake?"

I nodded, pulling myself into a sitting position. "What is it, Kid?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake Papa or the others. In the darkness, I could see the white stripes of his hair and the golden slow of his Shinigami eyes coming nearer to sit next to me on the couch. I heard him sigh, and then the brilliance of his eyes turned to me.

"Maka… You don't blame my dad for Soul's death, do you?" He asked.

I shook my head, and evidently Grim Reapers have better night vision than humans, because Kid breathed a sigh of relief like he had seen my action in the darkness.

"That's good," He chuckled a little. "Because it's entirely irrational to suspect him. Despite the lore surrounding us, killing everyday people isn't a Grim Reaper's job. We're just supposed to hunt the demons, the kishin. Other than that, we left life take its course."

"I know that," I replied calmly. "I've taken studies on Grim Reapers before. Your species is interesting," I stated.

I heard him chuckle. "We're interesting, huh?" He said.

We continued to small talk for a while, but after a little bit Kid's eyes became serious again as he looked straight into my emerald irises.

"Maka, I don't believe Soul would want you to mourn him like this."

I stiffened. I didn't want to talk about that, perhaps because I might've known deep in my heart that the young Shinigami was right.

"This wasn't the Maka he knew," Kid continued. "If he could see you now, and pardon my crudeness, but he'd tell you to get a grip."

My fists clenched slightly. "Kid, I don't feel comfortable talking about this," I whispered quietly.

Kid sighed again. "I know, and I'm sorry. But I can't just let my friend mourn the rest of her life."

"It's only been one day," I protested, glaring a little at him.

"I understand," Kid replied calmly. "I'm just reminding you what to do in the future. I know about death, Maka, and I understand its severity. But I also know that you need to honor the memory of the dead, and to honor Soul's memory, you should live the full life he died to give you."

I shook. "Just go to bed," I told him, turning back around to lie down and forcing the raven-haired teen off the couch. I buried my face in the pillow and heard him sigh again.

"All right, Maka," He said quietly, and I heard the hardwood floor creak as he stepped upon it to go back to bed.

I stared into the dark living room once again after he left, taking in shaky breaths. I closed my eyes, and my soul subconsciously felt around for Soul's spirit like it did instinctively every night. However, tonight it felt nothing. Slight disappointment and confusion entered my mind through my soul, and I had to remind it why Soul wasn't here. I shivered into the covers as I felt nothing but a cold emptiness where my partner's soul should have been. I sighed, wanting to pull my soul back into the deep confines of myself and never release it to be hurt again, when suddenly I sensed something.

_Longing._

_Pleading._

"… _Maka…_"

I gasped at the voice. This couldn't be true; this was too perfect to be real. Despite my initial instincts, my soul pressed forward into the emotions it felt, driving deeper into the desire that seemed to be directed at me. Suddenly the world flashed around me, as for a split second my soul was entirely enveloped by the force that had beckoned me. I stared forward, barely noticing the familiar black-and-red floored room with dark curtains and a piano in the corner. What absorbed all my attention was the teen boy in a suit on the far end of the room, with hair like the snow and eyes like garnets. But before I could call his name, I was whisked back to reality and thrown back onto the leather couch. I stared at nothing, my eyes wide, as I comprehended that somehow, through our dual desires, our souls reached each other. My next thoughts rang out loud and clear.

"_I've seen Soul one more time_."

"_I've got to see him again_."

* * *

**Again, sorry for the delay! The next chapter'll be here faster! Maybe… :/ By the way, Coatlus was named after a character from an old childhood game of mine. Points if you know her origin! I'll announce it in the next chapter. Rate, review, follow, fave, just do whatever you guys do that's encouraging to us authors! :3 See you next chapter!**


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